Cushioned inner sole for shoes and meth od of making the same



May 11, 1954 REED 2,677,906

CUSHIONED INNER SOLE FOR SHOES AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Aug.14. 1952 awn/Tax fl/i/ l/OLD REED flTTOR/VEY Patented May 11, 1954METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Arnold Reed, Bronx, N. Y. ApplicationAugust14, 1952, Serial No. 304,339 9 Claims. (01. 367l) This invention relatestoa cushioned inner sole for shoes and to the method of making the same.

It is an object of the present invention to-provide a cushioned innersole which can be made by heat sealing flexible plastic pieces so as toprovide pockets containing air or gas either of the same or differentpressures such that the support of the arch and heel may be had frompockets filled with higher pressure than the pockets that support theremainder of the foot.

It is another object of the inventionto provide a cushioning inner solewherein the pockets can be refilled with air or gas should they becomedehated or in such a manner as to adapt the cushioned inner sole to thefoot of the individual, the pockets being filled by an air dischargenozzle pointed to penetrate the bottom sole and the cushioning memberand adapted to admit as well as the air or gas a sealing compound whichwill seal the opening made by the penetration of the nozzle.

It is still another object of the invention toprovide cushioned innersole which has a fiat marginal or peripheral portion that lends itselffor the easy attachment of the same to the bottom sole and to the top ofthe shoe.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a cushioned inner soleformed ofsmall pockets containing air or gas, which is of simpleconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture, readily made in differentshapes, easily provided with diiferent pressures at different locationson the area thereof, easy to repair, requires a minimum number of parts,compact, light in weight, has electronically sealed seams, durable andwithstands hard usage, convenient and efficient in use.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention,reference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a cushioned inner sole for shoesconstructed according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally on line 2-2 ofFig. 1 and illustrating one form of assembly of the flexible plasticsheet members;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a-plastic sheet assembly being sealed byelectric heating irons while under pressure;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the inner sole showing pocketsinflated to different pressures so that the top layer of the sole willbe adapted to the foot of the wearer of the shoe;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a shoe employing an innersole constructed according to the first form of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the manner in whichthe pockets arefilled with air or gas and sealing material to repair apuncture of the inner sole;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view illustratcomprises a bottom sheeting the manner in which the pockets are filled at different pressure soas to provide a top surface that will lit the bottom of the foot;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a modified form ofconstruction wherein only two flexible plastic layers of sheets are usedto form the sheet assembly; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the form of theinvention shown in Fig. 8 and as viewed on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Referring now particularly to Figures 1 to 7, l5 represent an inner soleconstructed according to the present invention. This inner sole [6, atop sheet I! and [8 heat sealed alternately to the bottom and topsheets, as indicated at H? and 20 whereby to provide pockets 2| adaptedto be filled with air or gas so as to provide a cushioning effect aspressure is applied to the inner sole, by ones foot. The outer peripheryis provided with a flange 22 which is also formed by heat sealing thesheets together in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3 by electric heatingmembers 23 and 24 having mating heating edges 25 whereby a sheet ofmaterial constructed'by these sheets or layers can be'pressed and heatsealed according to the desired shape of the member to be made. Thisaction is performed while air or gas is under compression of equal orvarying pressures in the individual pockets by nozzles as indicated ata,b, c, d, e, etc. It can'similarly be done Without any air or gas presentand later inflated through small opening in the periphery of the flange;When the air or gas is compressed into the compartments, the smallopenings are then sealed with sealing material that may be injected bymeans shown in Fig. 6 to be later described.

While illustration is being made of amember having the shape of an innersole, it will be understood that the air cushioned member can have ashape adapted for use in baseball gloves, boxing gloves, head and bodyprotectors, sleeping bags, or these sheets can be rolled or balled up toprovide a pillow. In fact, this member can be used'in any place wherethe ordinary sponge rubber sheets are used when once constructed. Theair filled pockets distribute .the pressure more evenly than can .bedone with the ordinarysponge or foam rubber.

The layers are made up in assemblies of large areas as illustrated at 26and the heat is applied by the heating elements 23 and 24 so vasto formthe flangeZZ. This is preferably done while air or gas is retained undercompression in the pockets. Thereafter the inner sole is cut from thelarge area assembly 261along the flange line as indicated at 21. Itwillbe seen that all of the pockets are individually sealed with airretained under compression therein.

As illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, and 7, the pockets 2| can be filled: atdifferent pressures and expanded to different sizes in order that thetop an intermediate sheet I! can conform to the bottom of the foot Thebottom sheet l6 sheet of the wearer of the shoe. will lie flat andconform to the top face of the outer shoe sole 34. The flange 22 is usedfor the attachment of the inner sole to the outer sole and to the shoetop 35 by means of a stitching 36 that also secures the shoe top 35 tothe bottom shoe sole 34. In the areas of the inner sole under the archand heel a higher pressure is desirable and accordingly the air pockets2| at this location of the inner sole will be inflated to a greaterextent than the pockets at other locations of the sole.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 8 and 9, there is shown an airpocket assembly formed of only two sheets of flexible plastic. Largearea assembly is formed of a top flexible plastic sheet 4! and a bottomsheet 42. The top sheet is first heat sealed as indicated at 43 to thebottom sheet 42 and is then folded on itself and heat sealed at 44 toprovide thereby rib portions 45 and parallel pockets 46. Once the largearea member has been formed the electric heating members 23 and 24 canbe applied to the same so as to close the pockets and to provide aperipheral flange 41. The inner sole can be attached to theshoe in thesame manner as the inner sole I is attached to the shoe. The pocketswill be similarly filled with air or gas either before the sole isshaped or afterwards.

The sheets can be of either rubber or plastic and sealed to one anotherin the usual manner either by vulcanizing or heat sealing. A vinylplastic is preferably used. The sheet assemblies can be heat sealedtransversely of the pockets or at an angle thereof so that squarepockets or triangular-shape pockets can be formed. These partitions canbe formed in the same manner as the flange is formed with the heatedsealing member.

In the event of a puncture sealing fluid can be injected into thepockets b a gun 28, Fig. 6, which is supplied with liquid under pressurefrom a hose 29 that is fixed by a clamp 3| to an inlet pipe 32 of thegun. This gun has a pointed and sharp nozzle 33 that will pierce theplastic sheets and as it is pulled outward the hole made thereby will befilled with the sealing liquid and will seal the same. With the pocketsadequately supplied with the sealing liquid, air or gas can be injectedinto the pockets in order to restore the original pressure beforedamage. Gun 28 has a plunger 28a having a threaded operating rod 28bconnected to the plunger to force the sealing material toward the nozzle33.

While various changes may be made in the detailed construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An inner sole formed of flexible sheets, one of said sheets beingfolded upon itself to provide a succession of transverse parallel folds,means for securing said folds to another of said sheets and means forconnecting the folds together at their roots to prevent their elongationalong the sole, whereby providing transverse pockets adapted to receiveand retain a fluid and the sheets secured together at their periphery toclose the ends of the pockets.

2. An inner sole for shoes comprising a bottom sheet, a top sheet and anintermediate sheet alternately sealed to the bottom and top sheets andproviding air pockets therebetween, said sheets being connected togetherto provide an attaching flange for the inner sole.

3. An inner sole formed of flexible sheets, one of said sheets beingfolded upon itself to provide a succession of transverse parallel folds,means for securing said folds to another of said sheets and means forconnecting the folds together at their roots to prevent their elongationalong the sole, whereby providing transverse pockets adapted to receiveand retain a fluid and the sheets secured together at their periphery toclose the ends of the pockets and said pockets being inflated at equalor different ressures throughout the area of the inner sole.

4. An inner sole comprising top and bottom flexible sheets, one of saidsheets being fixed to the other sheet and folded upon itself at thepoint of fixation to the other sheet and fixed to itself thereoverwhereby to provide parallel pockets and said sheets joined together attheir periphery to provide an attaching flange.

5. An inner sole for shoes comprising a bottom sheet, a top sheet and anintermediate sheet alternately sealed to the bottom and top sheets andproviding air pockets therebetween, said sheets being connected togetherto provide an attaching flange for the inner sole, and said pocketsbeing inflated at equal or different pressures, the pressures of thepockets adapted to underlie the arch of the foot being high and thepockets being thereby elevated relative to the pockets over the otherareas.

6. The method of forming a cushioned member which consists of joiningtogether by heat sealing sheets of flexible material to provide pocketstherein, placing the pockets under compression of air, pressing theassembly thus formed with heat applying members and providing a flangethereby on said members whereby to close the pockets.

'7. The method of forming a cushioned member which consists of joiningtogether by heat sealing sheets of flexible material to provide airpockets therein, placing the pockets under compression of air, pressingthe assembly thus formed with heat applying members and providing aflange thereby on said members whereby to close the pockets andthereafter cutting said flange to separate the cushioned member from theassembly.

8. The method of forming a cushioned member which consists of joiningtogether by heat sealing sheets of flexible material to provide airpockets therein, pressing the assembly thus formed with heat applyingmembers and providing a flange thereby on said members whereby to closethe pockets or separately inflating said pockets with air or gas atequal or different pressures after providing the flange.

9. The method of forming a cushioned member which consists of joiningtogether by heat sealing sheets of flexible material to provide airpockets therein, pressing the assembly thus formed with heat applyingmembers and providing a flange therein to close the pockets, chargingthe pockets with a sealing fluid and finally individually inflating saidpockets with air or gas to desired pressures.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,488,382 Davis l Nov. 15, 1949 2,600,239 Gilbert June 10,1952

